Speaking Sensis

Okay, have a guess. Which Australian state is first past the post when it comes to social media?

Too easy. With their higher population and access to technology, it’d be NSW and Victoria in a canter.

Right?

Wrong.

In fact the Sensis® Social Media Report has found that our two most populous states sit in the middle when it comes to most measures of social media uptake.

And that there’s one state that stands head and shoulders above the rest… Tasmania.

To show you what I mean, here is a roll call of leading states in the social media stakes.

Most connected: Tasmania
100% of Tasmanians access the Internet. The national average is 94%.

Most social (consumers): Tasmania (by a mile!)
44% of Tasmanian social media users are networking every day compared to a national average of only 30%. However, they average 160 ‘friends, contacts or followers’, which is well under the national average of 217.

Most social (businesses): ACT and Queensland
20% of Queensland and ACT businesses have a social media presence, which is way ahead of the national average of 15%.

Most friendly: Victoria
Victorian social media users have an average of 241 friends or followers each compared to 217 nationally.

Most brand friendly: Tasmania
Tasmania walloped the other states. 39% of Tasmanian social media users follow sites or groups associated with brands, compared to a national average of 20%.

Most bargain friendly: Queensland
16% of Queensland social media users have used group buying sites compared to a national average of 12%.

Most vocal: Tasmania
37% of Tasmanian social media users have written an online review or blog about their views on a product or service. This is way above second placed Northern Territory (28%) and eclipses the national average of 24%. Meanwhile, 67% of Tasmanian social media users have used online reviews or blogs to research product purchases. This is second only to Western Australia on 69%.

I’ve been thinking what might be behind these trends. Is Tassie’s very high uptake of the Internet (100%, as I mentioned before) driving all this social media activity? Or is there a sense of isolation that social media might be remedying? (Interestingly, social media take-up is also relatively strong in NT). Maybe it’s all of the above, but whatever it is, Tasmanians are the savvy social media users to watch!

The Sensis Social Media Report, which was released last week in conjunction with the Australian Interactive Media Indsutry Association, had some interesting things to say about social media trends among older Australians.

HELPING YOU STAY IN TOUCH

It’s no surprise that the uptake of social networks in Australia is heavily weighted to teens and young adults. According to the Sensis Social Media Report (which is available for free download from the Sensis corporate site), 93% of 14 – 29 year olds have used social media at some point compared to only 31% for over 65s.

While uptake maybe relatively low, the reasons why middle aged and senior Australians are using social media make for interesting reading.

Their reasons suggest that social media could have an enormous role to play in enriching the lives of older Australians in the years to come.

Consider this:

• 60% of over 50s use social media to share photos or videos. This is second only to 20 – 29 year olds and well above the 56% for all Australians.
• 18% of over 65s use social media to meet new friends – this proportion is exceeded only by 14 – 29 year olds.
• 14% of over 65s are using social media ‘to find people with the same interests that you have’. That’s bang on the average for all people and well ahead of 20 – 39 year olds and 50 – 64 year olds.

Growing old must be difficult for many Australians. You spend decades building a life, a family and a network of friends; only to find that they slowly ebb away due to an increasing loss of mobility.

I’ve seen this myself over the last few years. Before they made the trip to aged care, I watched my parents gradually become prisoners in their own home. Due to growing immobility, their ability to socialise – something the rest of us take for granted – became more and more difficult; to the point where they only rarely left the house and hardly ever saw their friends.

Social networks bring with them an enormous opportunity to alleviate the loneliness of advancing age. They offer a way to talk, share and even play with family and friends regardless of distance and mobility issues.

Which, in an ageing country like Australia, could become very important in the future.

HELPING YOU SHOP

Of course, many middle aged and senior Australians are as mobile as ever and living very active lives.

Which leads to another interesting observation about the use of social media in Australia.

You see, Australians over the age of fifty are showing a tendency to rely heavily on social media for purchase decisions.

• 17% of over 65s use social media to research holiday destinations or travel offers: the highest percentage for all age groups
• And 17% of 50 – 64 year olds, use social media ‘to research other products or services you might want to buy’. This response shared the top spot with 12 – 19 year olds.

There’s a simple message here. You wouldn’t normally think about over 50s as an audience for social media marketing.

But, given their spending power and propensity to use social media to research purchases, social media could be a significant opportunity for over 50s marketers in the years to come.

As the distribution of the 2011/2012 White Pages® books in Melbourne and Sydney starts, there will be a few changes to the way we do things.

In the past, the White Pages® Residential Book was delivered to virtually every household in Australia, but the residential book will be distributed differently in Melbourne and Sydney this year.

If you live in Melbourne or Sydney, the 2011/2012 White Pages® Residential Book will not be automatically delivered to your home.

We’re still delivering the Business & Government book, as we have done in previous years.  And we’re still printing residential books for these cities.  If you want a residential book, there are three simple ways to order a copy:

- Call 1800 008 292,
- Visit www.directoryselect.com.au, or
- Collect a copy from your local Australia Post outlet.

This information will also be included on the front cover and on page two of the Business and Government book which will continue to be distributed to virtually every household in Australia.

[In Melbourne, book distribution begins on 28 May and in Sydney distribution starts on 9 July

Other than Melbourne and Sydney, there is no change to the way that the White Pages Residential Book is distributed to households in other markets.

We think this is a positive change which reflects the way that consumers now search for residential contact information, as well as supporting those Australians who still value and use the Residential books.

Most importantly, anyone who wants a copy of the White Pages® Residential Book in Melbourne and Sydney will still get it.

Fascinating!

Hearty praise for the Yellow Pages® from none other than a globally respected search marketing expert.